weLL....i d0 think that college is imp0rtant but it does n0t mean that if ur n0t in c00lege, you are a worthless person...
actually...i still dont have to think about stuff like those because i'm still a highschool freshman....but i really study hard [just hard...n0t my best ] because i plan to go to med school f0r collegE....[well...its als0 what my relatives want...my original plan was engineering and my second option is med.school but they want the med so i kinda just gave in t0 what they want.....after all, med.sch00l is n0t that bad ]

Like your friend and a large majority of society, we are socialized to believe that post-secondary education is the pathway to success. I'm picking out ideas from my sociology class so stick with me for a moment lol...

In a capitalistic society, those on top reinforce the idea that you have to go through post-secondary education to be successful. They cause this socialization through: media, government, social pressures (you've all heard of the campaigns saying 'STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS!') ... diluted down to the parents who are socialized to convince you to go to college. But why would they want people to go to university?

In my opinion, since capitalism depends on the growth and development in technology (Marx), it is highly important that society is producing workers who are in the field of research-----scholars who will further develop society.

So what happens now? Since everyone is socialized to believe that people who go through post-secondary school are more successful/qualified ... employers will have a much higher tendency to hire the university graduate.

Those who do not go to university/college can easily go through with trade school and there's nothing wrong with that (they might even earn more than a university graduate). But, they will be bombarded with the social pressures of conformity. They will be less respected not because they have a 'bad job'... but because society is socialized to believe that they are 'not successful'. They may affect how others treat them in their daily lives... or whether or not their employer decides to hire them.

Like your friend and a large majority of society, we are socialized to believe that post-secondary education is the pathway to success. I'm picking out ideas from my sociology class so stick with me for a moment lol...

In a capitalistic society, those on top reinforce the idea that you have to go through post-secondary education to be successful. They cause this socialization through: media, government, social pressures (you've all heard of the campaigns saying 'STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS!') ... diluted down to the parents who are socialized to convince you to go to college. But why would they want people to go to university?

In my opinion, since capitalism depends on the growth and development in technology (Marx), it is highly important that society is producing workers who are in the field of research-----scholars who will further develop society.

So what happens now? Since everyone is socialized to believe that people who go through post-secondary school are more successful/qualified ... employers will have a much higher tendency to hire the university graduate.

Those who do not go to university/college can easily go through with trade school and there's nothing wrong with that (they might even earn more than a university graduate). But, they will be bombarded with the social pressures of conformity. They will be less respected not because they have a 'bad job'... but because society is socialized to believe that they are 'not successful'. They may affect how others treat them in their daily lives... or whether or not their employer decides to hire them.

its an opinion with sociological support ish ^^"

I agree that a scholar-based education is what keeps us going, but so does raw passion for things. And it's a depressing fact of reality - no society as a whole will ever be based on individualistic thinkers.

Even in 2009 we're expected to conform to old systems of society and success. And I wish it weren't that way. I wish parents didn't push careers on their children, either.

Like your friend and a large majority of society, we are socialized to believe that post-secondary education is the pathway to success. I'm picking out ideas from my sociology class so stick with me for a moment lol...

In a capitalistic society, those on top reinforce the idea that you have to go through post-secondary education to be successful. They cause this socialization through: media, government, social pressures (you've all heard of the campaigns saying 'STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS!') ... diluted down to the parents who are socialized to convince you to go to college. But why would they want people to go to university?

In my opinion, since capitalism depends on the growth and development in technology (Marx), it is highly important that society is producing workers who are in the field of research-----scholars who will further develop society.

So what happens now? Since everyone is socialized to believe that people who go through post-secondary school are more successful/qualified ... employers will have a much higher tendency to hire the university graduate.

Those who do not go to university/college can easily go through with trade school and there's nothing wrong with that (they might even earn more than a university graduate). But, they will be bombarded with the social pressures of conformity. They will be less respected not because they have a 'bad job'... but because society is socialized to believe that they are 'not successful'. They may affect how others treat them in their daily lives... or whether or not their employer decides to hire them.

its an opinion with sociological support ish ^^"

I agree that a scholar-based education is what keeps us going, but so does raw passion for things. And it's a depressing fact of reality - no society as a whole will ever be based on individualistic thinkers.

Even in 2009 we're expected to conform to old systems of society and success. And I wish it weren't that way. I wish parents didn't push careers on their children, either.

I totally agree with you D= ..... societal pressures suck
it's unfortunate a scientist is unable to explore his/her field for the sake of knowledge/curiosity... no... The scientist can only research when they're sponsored by some sort of corporation prepared to reap some profit out of their research .... depressing but true

I've not heard anyone mix the two here.
Universities are different than private and community college.
A lot of american people get really touchy if you were to confuse the three.

So, what is the differences between the three?

Universities are generally larger - the state universities, any school that offers every basic subject and their sub-studies.

Private schools are extremely expensive, but specialized usually in one area of study (art schools, specialty schools) and usually better for the student as far as being on a personal level with the professor.

Community colleges are more affordable, but kind of at the bottom of the "genius-making" tier.

Jobs are more likely to hire a person from a Private College or University, and it really shouldn't be that way.

oh, I see guess its University for me.
yea it shouldn't be that way but it is.
those that go to community college still has a chance against those with no college education.

I've not heard anyone mix the two here.
Universities are different than private and community college.
A lot of american people get really touchy if you were to confuse the three.

I know I'm totally pissed when they are confused one to another (I attended a state university, and I'm resuming my studies again in another state university in September; I took a semester off 'cause I got married). But I know people who go to community colleges and are better at their job than people who went to "universities".
My mom is a BSN nurse (who graduated from a state university, and is currently a Head Nurse), and she had an upper classmate who's totally mediocre (who works with her), however, in her work area, there is this new girl who graduated from a community college and is a better nurse than my mom's upper classmate.
Or what about people who went to college, have a degree and that degree is pretty much useless? It happens. I have a friend who have a bachelors in journalism, and she ended up working in Public Relations (and is terrible at that, since she's antisocial). Or my hubby; he studied biology (you know, because of his parents), and it was totally useless since he's in the navy (at shore, not deployed), doing things not related to biology (and that's why he's doing a second BS in mechanical engineering).

But I rather study and get more knowledge than work, work, work and not knowing anything about the world, just more money.